Brimstone reserve significantly higher

The proven and probable figure has just swelled at the Crofoot-Lewis open pit in northwestern Nevada.

Having subjected the Brimstone deposit to further evaluation, Hycroft Resources & Development (VSE) estimates total reserves as being 56.7 million tons grading 0.018 oz. gold per ton. The strip ratio is 1.9-to-1. Only a year ago, the mine was estimated to contain 45 million tons grading 0.021 oz. gold at a strip ratio of 2.3-to-1.

The increase reflects the addition of lower-grade material which can be treated as “run-of-mine” (no crushing required), as well as lower-grade mineralization now deemed economic because of higher metallurgical recoveries. Last year, 5.7 million tons grading 0.023 oz. gold were crushed and placed on the leach pad at Crofoot-Lewis.

The mine produced 86,516 oz. gold and 310,559 oz. silver in 1993, compared with 100,030 oz. gold and 323,886 oz. silver in the previous year. Granges (TSE) owns 50.5% of Hycroft’s outstanding shares.